Chapter 1663: Motian Division
"Third Senior Sister, why did you call me here? Is there a problem with the Xie Zhi Division's mission? Or is there some new development?"
"Why the rush? Let's talk inside."
***
Reception hall.
After Fang Chen took a seat, Chen Enxue casually said, "There's nothing going on at the Xie Zhi Division, which is why I was able to come back for a trip. Prepare yourself and come with me to the Underworld. We're going on official business."
"Official business, in the Underworld?" Fang Chen feigned surprise. "What sort of matter in the Underworld would require that you go personally?"
"This matter truly requires me to go in person. It's a rare opportunity. If I don't go this time, who knows when the next chance will be." Chen Enxue smiled faintly. "Don't worry. There's no danger. I want you to meet someone. He'll ask you a few questions about Huang Dengdao."
"Meet someone?"
This time, Fang Chen was genuinely startled. He had assumed Chen Enxue would make up some excuse. Instead, she was being rather straightforward.
Chen Enxue nodded. "Yes."
Fang Chen frowned. "Who is it?"
"I can't tell you. If you agree, we'll head to the Underworld now. If you don't, then pretend I never came to you about this."
Chen Enxue smiled, appearing unconcerned. However, she couldn't hide how strained that smile appeared. It was clear she actually cared deeply about the matter.
"Third Senior Sister, you really can't say? How about we call Senior Sister to come along?" Fang Chen probed.
Chen Enxue shook her head. "It wouldn't help even if we called her. Aside from you and me, no one else can reach that place, at least within Enlightenment God Palace. It's fine if you don't want to go. Just don't tell Senior Sister about this. I'm serious. If you do, I'll start pretending we're strangers from now on."
"Third Senior Sister, is this matter very important to you?" Fang Chen asked thoughtfully.
"It's not important at all. Not in the slightest. I just casually asked." Chen Enxue immediately denied it. She laughed lightly. "Alright, you can leave now. Remember what I just said."
Fang Chen did not rise. Instead, he took out the Soul Guiding Lantern and said, "I'll go with you, Third Senior Sister."
Chen Enxue was stunned for a moment. In those icy eyes that seemed frozen for ten thousand years, there was faintly a trace of melting warmth.
***
Floating Pagoda Realm.
The two travelled without obstruction. First they left the Enlightenment Underworld Realm, then headed north, tearing through the air the entire way.
Chen Enxue found Fang Chen too slow and simply carried him along as she flew.
"Third Senior Sister, how long until we arrive?" Fang Chen asked.
"The place we're going to is rather far. At my current speed, we should reach it within three years."
"Three years..."
Fang Chen fell into thought. A round trip would take about six or seven years. By then, Fairy Yu would be around six or seven years old. The timing was about right.
Along the way, they passed countless Underworld Cities. Chen Enxue patiently pointed out the origins of each. Most of these cities were controlled by first-rate forces from the Fangcun Realm.
Chen Enxue smiled and explained, "Since there are only a few places in the Upper Three Realms where one can descend to the Underworld, including our Enlightenment Star. As such, they have to enter the Underworld through the Lower Six Realms. To avoid trouble, they simply established outposts in certain regions of the Lower Six Realms, specifically to travel between the Mortal Realm and the Underworld.
"However, they follow the rules and don't interfere in the Lower Six Realms' affairs. They're stationed in remote regions. Cultivators in the Lower Six Realms are mostly unaware of this."
Fang Chen nodded. He truly hadn't known that some forces from the Upper Three Realms would establish branches in the Lower Six Realms just to facilitate travel to the Underworld.
"Third Senior Sister, according to what you're saying, then besides cultivators from the Fangcun Realm, there would also be cultivators from the Shenwang Realm and the Taicang Realm in the Lower Six Realms?" Fang Chen asked casually.
"Of course," said Chen Enxue. "That way they can conveniently gather intelligence about the Lower Six Realms as well. Thinking back, it's rather amusing. People in the past had no interest in coming here. They all went to the Major Immortal Realm. If the immortal essence in the Major Immortal Realm hadn't vanished, we wouldn't need to compensate for those losses in the Underworld using Yin lifespan.
"In other words, only the Underworld hasn't changed as drastically. The Immortal Realm and the Nine Mortal Realms of today are completely different from what they once were."
Fang Chen's eyes narrowed. "The Nine Mortal Realms used to be different from today?"
"Of course they were different. Back then, ascension wasn't the only way to attain immortality. You could attain immortality in the Immortal Realm, the Underworld, or even the Mortal Realm. You've seen those Anomalies before, haven't you? They didn't used to be like this back in the day" shared Chen Enxue emotionally.
Fang Chen understood. If Yang Gods didn't have to bear the backlash of forbidden techniques, their abilities alone would've allowed them to stand as protectors of the Nine Mortal Realms, making it no weaker than the Immortal Realm or the Underworld.
Fang Chen glanced at Chen Enxue from the corner of his eye and secretly sighed. He still didn't know what Chen Enxue was really planning.
***
In the blink of an eye, three years passed.
The two arrived at a vast plain stretching endlessly in all directions. Not even a slightly taller mountain range could be seen. Only a single enormous city stood in the middle of the plain, covering a vast area, its walls towering into the clouds.
Chen Enxue gazed at the city, her eyes somewhat distant. "Ninth Brother, this Underworld City is called 'Dizang.' The person you're going to meet is an eight-transformation Great Yin Demon who calls himself Immortal Dizang. He's also the city lord. After you see him, you don't need to worry about anything. Since I can bring you here, I can safely take you back."
"Third Senior Sister, can't you tell me anything? Why does this eighth-transformation Great Yin Demon want to see me?" Fang Chen asked.
Chen Enxue rolled her eyes. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Come with me."
She grabbed Fang Chen's shoulder and flew toward Dizang City.
As soon as they reached the city gates, several Yin Demons emerged. Though their cultivation levels were not high, their gazes and bearing were extremely sharp.
One of the Great Yin Demons glanced at them coldly and warned, "Dizang City does not receive outsiders. Please leave."
Chen Enxue didn't say anything. She merely took out a token.
"War Immortal Chen Enxue of the Motian Division is here. I have come today to pay respects to Immortal Dizang."
Fang Chen glanced at Chen Enxue. Motian Division? Motian Dizang?
She did not explain what the Motian Division was, merely stared at the Great Yin Demons before her.
At this point, Fang Chen could already determine that Chen Enxue had nothing to do with the demon race for the time being. Instead, her background was connected to that peerless Heavenly Demon of the underworld, Motian Dizang.
Earlier, within the Xie Zhi Division, he had allowed his soul to leave his body because Chen Enxue had repeatedly dismissed the existence of the demon race. It had felt as though she was trying to mislead him.
After everything that had happened, from the Minor Immortal Realm to the Major Immortal Realm, and even seeing Xie Aman preserve that strand of demonic aura from Shao Guangyin, given Chen Enxue's intelligence, even if she couldn't confirm the existence of the demon race, she wouldn't have outright denied it. That was why Fang Chen had grown suspicious of her. But now, he had uncovered another secret, one unrelated to the demon race.
Third Senior Sister likely does know of the demon race's existence, and understands it quite well. She can probably also determine that Huang Dengdao was a demon. Otherwise... why would she have reported Huang Dengdao's death to the lord of Dizang City at the very first opportunity?
Fang Chen remained expressionless, piecing together these scattered clues into a tentative conclusion.
Motian Dizang would certainly be very familiar with the demon race's existence. He had lived through that era. If Chen Enxue had connections to him, then it would be no surprise that she understood the demon race.
